74 Killed in Iraq amid Reports of Chemical Bombings

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned
that his reform plan is under threat from those who benefit from the old
system. Still, he dismissed
his Cabinet on Wednesday as a first step in fulfilling the promises of the
plan. He also said he would seek
a mandate from the people to change the Iraqi constitution. He described the
current constitution as having been written hastily and containing many
mistakes. Meanwhile, 66 corruption cases have been opened
against a number of officials, current and former.

Outgoing U.S. Army chief, General Raymond Odierno, does
not expect reconciliation between Sunnis and Shi’ites to be realized and
believes the country may need to be split. He also said
at a news conference, that U.S. troops could be needed on the ground in Iraq
eventually. However, he admits that greater U.S. involvement will not solve
Iraq’s political problems.